"Better burgers" have come to Western Massachusetts, with the opening of Max Burger in the Longmeadow Shops.

The upscale burger joint is the second Max Burger and ninth restaurant by the Hartford-based Max Restaurant Group, which also owns and operates Max's Tavern at the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield.

The restaurant is decorated with a bovine theme, reflecting Max Burger's emphasis on beef - all-natural Angus, sourced from humanly raised animals. But the menu features much more: you'll also find turkey, chicken, shrimp, tuna, portobello mushrooms and a vegetarian quinoa burger between a bun.

The Longmeadow restaurant follows in the footsteps of its sister restaurant in West Hartford, Conn., with spacious patio seating, plenty of draft beer (including a proprietary ale brewed by Thomas Hooker Brewery of Bloomfield, Conn.) and specialty cocktails.

The large kitchen also turns out more than just burgers: Max Burger offers large salads and entrees like roasted chicken, St. Louis-style ribs, meat loaf, salmon and NY strip. Starts like pickle-wrapped pastrami, chicken cordon bleu balls, buffalo shrimp, spinach and artichoke dip, sliders and chili are also big sellers.

Max Burger opens today for dinner, with lunch service starting on July 30. The restaurant is at 684 Bliss Road in Longmeadow. 413-798-0101, maxburgerma.com.